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This activity is for observing shadows and how they change. Take children outside on a sunny day and ask them to look at the ground next to where they are standing to see what they can see. As soon as someone notices his or her shadow, introduce the ...
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This activity is for observing that different objects make shadows of different shapes and sizes. Ask students to find the object that is making a shadow and to describe and compare the object with its shadow. When checking the same shadow an hour la...
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This activity focuses on discovering that on cloudy days, there may not be enough sunlight to cause shadows. If the clouds are intermittent, the shadows may come and go, but on an overcast day there may be no shadows at all. Encourage children to con...
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What Is the Weather Like Today?
This activity focuses on observing and naming different kinds of weather. In the activity, children go outside to determine the weather. Back inside the classroom, their findings are recorded on a weather chart. The typical weather chart has only one...
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The focus of this activity is on helping children begin to see that tracks and traces can tell stories about things that have not been seen. Let children describe the different tracks they made in the snow, encouraging them to discuss how each of the...
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This activity focuses on exploring the properties of snow and how snow can change into liquid water. Have the children pack snow into plastic cups so the cups are full of snow. Challenge children to try to determine how many cups of snow it takes to ...
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This activity is about discovering how coats keep things warm and uses water bottles to show what coats do for us. One bottle is wrapped in a cloth or newspaper coat and the other bottle is left as is. Children will see that the wrapped bottle kept ...
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This activity is for exploring magnetic and nonmagnetic objects. Give each child identical magnets and ask them to test some of the objects provided to find out which ones are attracted to magnets. This should help students to understand what the obj...
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This activity focuses on the use of magnets and finding magnetic items in the classroom. Give each child a magnet and have them go around the room and find objects that are attracted by their magnet. Activity may be extended outside to discover which...
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Magnetic Force Through Objects
This activity focuses on exploring the magnetic force through objects by placing magnets in a small box. Slowly move the box about a half-inch above a pile of paper clips and watch the paper clips attach to the bottom of the box. This activity could ...
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This activity uses a magnet to push another magnet through a maze. Discuss how a magnet can pull or push another magnet and give each child a “Magnet Maze” sheet and two magnets. Briefly demonstrate using one magnet to push another through the ma...
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The Magnet Contest: Which Magnet is Stronger?
This activity is for testing the strength of different magnets. Use a pile of paper clips for children to explore with. As they begin picking up paper clips with their magnets, they will see that some magnets can pick up more than others. Encourage c...
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This activity is about collecting rocks. Take the children on a rock hunt and ask them to select three rocks to put in their bags. Once back inside, have each child choose one rock to show to the others and describe what they like about the rock. As ...
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This activity is about exploring rocks. Put out a box of rocks and let children explore, observe, and compare rocks, matching them by shape, size, and color. Encourage children to use magnifiers as they observe. A materials list, internet resources, ...
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This activity focuses on comparing objects using a balance. Introduce children to the balance by putting identical objects of equal weight on the two sides of the balance. Then give children time to explore by putting different objects on the balanc...
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This activity is about discovering how an object or a person can stay balanced. Have children try to balance a clothespin upright on the end of their finger and then stand on one foot and try to balance themselves. Have the children try to balance s...
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This activity involves testing blocks of different shapes to see how they can be balanced. Give blocks of various shapes and sizes to the children and encourage them to think about and describe how they are stacking the blocks in order to balance. A...
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This activity focuses on using patterns in block building. Challenge children to build something with their blocks and have them examine the structures to help them see the patterns. A materials list, internet resources, standards, and safety practic...
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This activity is about discovering objects that will roll. Place objects on the floor and ask each child to choose one and try to push it across the floor. Use a Sorting Box to help children record objects that roll and those that do not. A materials...
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This activity involves changing the angle of a ramp to affect the distance that an object will roll. Make a ramp by taping a paper towel tube to a block and let children investigate by rolling various objects down their ramps. After a while, provide ...
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This activity is for observing how gravity affects marbles as they roll. Cut pipe insulators in half lengthwise and use half of the pipe insulator to show children how to bend the tracks to create loops, ramps, and curves. Encourage children to plac...
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This activity is about observing that marbles roll down inclined planes. Give each child a box with a piece of paper taped to the bottom and let them choose a color and begin their painting. Let children describe their paintings, pointing out the dif...
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This activity involves observing raisins moving up and down in clear, carbonated soda. Slowly pour some cold, clear soda into a clear, plastic cup and have children observe the bubbles rising in the soda. Then allow them to drop three to five raisins...
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This activity is about observing the body and behavior of roly-polies. Let children observe the roly-polies and discover many things about the way they look and move. Then prompt them to share discoveries about both the behaviors and bodies of the ro...
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This activity is about observing the body and behavior of mealworms. Place mealworms inside clear plastic boxes or cups and distribute, along with magnifiers, to the children. Allow time for children to observe, touch, and hold their mealworms. A mat...
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This activity is about observing the body and behavior of earthworms. After a rainy day, go on a “worm hunt.” Give each child a plastic cup and spoon and encourage children to dig and search for worms in grassy and dirt areas. Ask the children to...
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This activity is about observing the body and behavior of garden snails. Put out snails on a transparent tray and let children explore and observe. Then ask them to tell you what they found out about their snails. A materials list, internet resources...
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This activity is about observing the body and behavior of crickets. Place crickets in a clear, covered box or cup and give one to each child. Provide magnifiers and ask the children to observe their cricket closely to learn about its body parts and h...
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This activity is about observing the body and behavior of goldfish. Provide children with goldfish in large clear containers to allow them to observe the fish and try to notice its body parts and how it moves. A materials list, internet resources, st...
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This activity is about observing that some animals can be camouflaged on different surfaces. Discuss with the children what protective coloring means and explain that many animals need to hide to protect themselves. Introduce the word camouflage and ...
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This activity is about observing an abandoned spiderweb. Take a walk to look for spiderwebs and caution children not to touch if the web has spiders but to observe the movement of the spider. If no spiders, spray the web with water to make it easier ...
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This activity focuses on making a giant spiderweb out of yarn. Discuss the different spiderwebs investigated earlier and let the children know they will be building and testing a giant spiderweb. Encourage children to describe how they think spiders ...
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This activity is about observing birds in the environment. Take the children for a walk around the school looking for birds. Taking pictures of the birds observed can greatly enhance the activity. After the walk, ask children to describe and draw pic...
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This activity is about attracting birds to the school yard. The children put out empty milk cartons with food and place a pencil or wood dowel through small holes cut into the sides of the carton. Birds will be able to perch on the dowel and reach in...
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This activity is about using different materials to build a bird nest. Before starting, share books about different types of birds’ nests and discuss the many different materials, locations, sizes, and shapes. Children will choose materials and be...
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This activity is about looking through empty cups and water-filled cups to see how things appear. Give each child an empty cup and one half-filled with water. Ask them to look through their cups at each other and at objects around the room. Have chil...
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This activity is about discovering that water evaporates. On a sunny day, give children buckets of water and wide paintbrushes for painting the outside tables and benches. Have them to also paint something that’s in the shade. Encourage them to not...
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This activity is for finding out which items absorb water and which do not. Give each child a variety of items to experiment with to see what happens when they put some water on them. Use the word absorb when discussing with the children what they fo...
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This activity is for finding out what happens when various foods are placed in colored water. Have a variety of vegetables available and let each child select one to put in water to see what happens. After a few hours or longer of soaking, let the ch...
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This activity is for discovering what happens when different materials are mixed with water. Give children five cups, each filled halfway with water. Show them the materials you have—sand, salt, sugar, flour, pepper—and explain that they are goin...